Thanks for reviewing Lunar Sunrise and EclipseLover97! And for the Fav, YouOnlyLiveOncee.

I don't ever do this, but there's an interview in this chapter. It was the only way I could think of to introduce the character a little.

Don't hate me!

-Scarlet


Chapter 3: Start Again

After Clover had gone, Seth pushed a statue-like Jacob out the backdoor. "Dude! Did you just freaking imprint?"

"I... think..." Jacob's face dropped into a scowl as his life drove away down the road. His chest felt empty, as though his heart had been ripped out. He began to feel lightheaded, and his clenched fists shook at his sides.

Seth watched his pained face anxiously. "Jacob, you imprinted on Clover?"

Jacob's teeth gnashed together and he turned an angry glare on Seth. "Yes. I. Imprinted." His instincts clawed at him with every second that passed. She wasn't supposed to leave... not just after he found her...

"I'll get Sam." Seth turned away, and ran off before Jacob could stop him.

Jacob tried to control his breathing, which had become borderline hyperventilation. He felt the wolf struggling for dominance within him, wanting to destroy whatever force had taken his life away. His very being. His heart. His imprint

He was running before he knew it, into the tree line behind Emily's house. The branches and shrubs of the thick forest tore at his skin, but it healed even before he noticed. He ran from himself, from her, and from the strong impulses that the imprint caused. And though he won the physical battle, the wolf asserted itself in his mind and manifested in his body. The forest floor flew out from under his powerful paws with each pounding stride he took. The instincts that had guided him for the past three years began to infest his mind once again...

All too soon, a flicker in his mind signaled that one of his brothers had joined him.

Jacob, don't freak out. Jared's mind held nothing but sympathy. His thoughts of Kim merged and hazed together with Jacob's picture of Clover's face. Jacob pushed himself faster through the trees, but he couldn't escape the three other minds that popped into his conscious.

Get back here now, Jacob, Sam's angry thoughts greeted.

Sorry, Jake. Seth was there, too.

Quil's on his way, Jacob. This is rough, Embry's mind comforted. Jacob felt his compassion, but also his excitement. The prospect of imprinting was always appealing to Embry, since he'd yet to experience it himself.

Sam was still angry. Jacob Black, turn your ass around and return to La Push.

Jacob screeched to a stop under the weight of the command, and every nerve ending in his body froze. He fought against Sam's alpha authority until his knees buckled. His body moved of its own, turning back to the reservation. He was able to keep his pace to a trot, and soon, the entire pack caught up with him.

Tell me exactly what happened, Sam ordered.

Jacob's mind reeled with the encounter with Clover, up to every embarrassing detail.

It's better than Bella, that's for sure, Paul snickered. The pack mind hummed with memories of the Cullens, of Bella, and of Jacob's departure three years before.

Jacob absorbed every thought, every perspective. It felt like he was looking at his own life through different eyes... a life that he didn't feel a part of. Bella's face was blurry and distorted in his mind; only his imprint mattered now, regardless of the past.

Jacob was startled to hear his own voice through the storm of his brothers' thoughts, This is the best thing that's ever happened to me.


"Leah, I imprinted."

"Well, well... fuck me."

Leah's face held little shock as she stood in her mother's doorway, glaring at the man who'd knocked ten seconds before. She had come down from Seattle to visit her mother, strategically planned so Emily was away. She still hadn't tied up ends with Emily, and had already put that past behind her.

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "You're not... surprised?"

"Well, I haven't seen you for three years, Jake... so the surprise from this visit cancelled out the other surprise. That good enough?" She smirked.

He sighed and leaned on the weathered door frame with one arm. "Look, I didn't come here for your pity... I just..." His eyes became distant, as though he was looking right through her. "I wanted to ask you why."

Leah deadpanned. The suspense alone was killing her... not. "'Why' what?"

"The pack told me you stopped phasing."

She laughed mirthlessly. "Do you want to see a giant she-wolf running free on the streets of Seattle?"

"That, too," he pointed out. "Why did you leave La Push?"

Leah shifted her weight, obviously annoyed by his pestering. "Does it matter?" She flung a hand out at him. "You left, too."

"The situation was different. Besides - you were the one that encouraged me."

"You didn't have to listen! I was all hormone-y and wolf-y back then."

Jacob shrugged. "I don't see how I could have stayed..."

"Then don't sweat it! You had every right to. I was one of the few that actually defended you after you left."

"You did?" Jacob pictured Sam's initial reaction to his little escapade. It wasn't pretty. "Who else? Quil? Seth?"

Leah let out a tolerant breath. "I don't want to go through the history of the pack right now, Jake..."

Realizing the crazed expression on his face, Jacob laughed stiffly. "Sorry, Leah... I'm just uptight right now."

"Ya think?" she quipped, motioning to him up and down. "Did Sam run you over with a tank?"

Jacob looked down at this dirt-covered body and ripped shorts. Even his newly-cropped hair was a mess again. "Almost."

She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Well... this was a good chat, Jake. But it's like" – she glanced at her watch-less wrist theatrically – "midnight. I'm leaving in the morning, so I wanna get some shuteye."

"Oh..." Jacob shoved away the regret he felt. He'd missed that bitch. "Sure. I guess I'll see you around, Leah."

She stopped shutting the door halfway, after he'd already turned to go. "Hey! Who is it, by the way?"

He froze, realizing he didn't know Clover's surname. "Er... Clover." He grinned. "Clover the crazy."


An Interview with Clover

Good evening, Miss Clover. Would you spare a moment for an interview?
Is that what you called me here for? *sighs tolerantly* Sure, whatever...

Name?
Clover Ann Windsong. Yep, you guessed it – I'm Native American. Call me Chloe though, or I'll smack you. *mutters* I know people call me Clover behind my back, though.

Birthday?
December 5, 1988.

Age?
Since you can't do math – I'm 21. It's 2009, dummy.

Gender?
I'm a woman.

Nationality?
Just told you, dumbass.

Height/Weight?
Five foot five...ish. 110 lbs. *glances away*

Current residence?
Billy Black's house. I don't care to know the number because I'm bailing outta there soon. I sleep on the couch, because Billy's saving his son's room. I always thought Jacob went off to sell drugs and kill people... but most people say he just ran away with some old girlfriend of his. How boring.

Current occupation?
I work at Sue's café every once in a while... but mostly I volunteer at the library. Sam hates when I'm just doing nothing, so I pretend to like books to get him off my back. *shrugs*

Siblings?
I'm an only child.

Chinese zodiac sign?
Dragon. Hear me roar. Grrr.

Sexual orientation?
*gasps in rage* Did you seriously just ask that, you pervert? ...I hate girls.

Bad habits?
I don't smoke, if that's what you're asking. I drink a lot of Coke, though... and bite my nails sometimes. I swear a lot, too, Goddamn it.

Talents?
I can kick ass and chew bubblegum. And I'm all out of bubblegum. Ha! Nah, I just took some karate in middle school.

Hobbies?
I watch TV, cook occasionally, and I love to surf. *smirks* And you thought I'd say throwing kitchen knives at the wall.

Education?
Graduated high school pretty easily, tried to go to community college for a while... *frowns* ...but that didn't work out.

Health status?
Fit as a fiddle. I might haves AIDS, though. Ha! *points* You should see your face!

Overall personality?
I'm not good at describing myself, but... I tend to not care, blow people off for no reason, and I'm not easy to impress. I hate humor and cuteness. So, all in all, it takes a lot for me to go "whoa!" *pauses uninterestedly* The world is a pretty boring place, I guess. I'm as loyal as a dog, though.

Favorite food?
Gummybears and sushi. And Chinese.

Favorite ice cream flavor?
Bubblegum, with those little pink chunks.

Favorite drink?
Coka-Cola. Coffee is death to me.

Favorite music?
Rock, PopRock, Alternitive. Rap is crap.

Is there someone you hate?
You. *glares* And probably my dad.

Is there someone you love?
My sister Emily. We aren't family or anything, but she's always been there for me. I think the best thing about moving to La Push last year was the fact that I was closer to her. I went all emo when she left Makah a few years ago.

Do you want to have kids later?
Not really... I guess I haven't thought about it. But I love sitting Emily's kid Elle sometimes.

Do you have past relationships/interests?
My first kiss was at the eighth grade prom... in Chemistry lab. The jackass wanted to date me, but I turned him down. I guess I'm still waiting for the "boy craze" to hit. Taylor Lautner is pretty hot, though.

Have you ever killed anyone?
*gapes* Are you fucking psycho? Hell no, I've never killed anyone... YET, BUDDY!

What color and length is your hair?
Black... like your heart, jerkface. And it comes down to my butt. I sit on it by accident sometimes.

What color are your eyes?
Dark brown, except there's a light amber rim around them.

What do you think of your creator?
Scarlet? She's OK. This was a pretty dumb way to introduce me, though.

Thank you for your time, Chloe.


The light from the freeway streetlights cast a surreal orange glow across the road. It lit up the faces of the two girls in the front seat of Sue's Toyoda Corolla as they drove under it every so often. The driver's dark knuckles were almost white against the steering wheel, and the passenger occasionally glanced over in concern.

"Thanks again for picking me up, Chloe," Emily said, trying again at conversation.

Clover's gaze stayed on the dark road. "Yep." She popped her lips on the p.

Emily looked at her lap. She knew exactly why Chloe was in her "turtle" mode. "He was just trying to reach out, you know?" she said softly.

Clover took a deep breath through her nose. "That was just a show for you, Emily. He still doesn't care about me." She glanced at Emily's worried face. "Why were you over at my house, anyway?"

"I just wanted to check up. You know how men get without a woman around..." Emily bit her lip after she said this. She knew very well not to bring up the topic of Clover's mother around the girl.

"You shouldn't worry. My dad will never change," she said, frowning.

Emily sighed in defeat. "You may be right..."


Whew...! *wipes brow* That was rough. Please review if you like this story and want to see more. If ya don't... meh.

-Scarlet